He shushed her with a finger to his lips. She peered worriedly over at him, nervously fingering her long auburn hair.

“Where is it?â€? she whispered, eyes wide.

He winked. “Just there, in the undergrowth,â€? he said, gesturing ambiguously.

He thrust his arms into the dry foliage and rustled around. A small croak emanated from the brush.

“It’s there, Jen!â€? he cried, working himself into a frenzy.

She stifled a shout and bent over. “Gawl, that thing shore is big!â€? she said, eyes like discs, taking in all there was to see of the spectacular creature. The boy grasped the thing tight in his dusty fingers.

“Whaddaya reckon it is, Jen? Frog or toad?â€? He grinned, and held it up to her face.

She squealed. “I dunno, just get it out of my face!â€?

“Well, either way, Ma won’t let us keep it…we can’t let her know we were out on the bayou, either. Got it?â€?

She nodded and followed her older brother faithfully across the swampy muck.